Finistere and Cornwall museums working in partnership to preserve maritime heritage

A partnership between the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, in Falmouth and Le Port-Musée in Douarnenez, Finistère (Brittany) has seen cutting edge technology used to preserve Cornish and Breton maritime heritage.

The two Museums have been using state of the art laser scanners to create 3D models of key boats in both their collections. The LASCANMAR project has been made possible through €60,000 of European funding. The INTERREG Program promotes cross border projects and helps regions of Europe share knowledge and transfer experience.

Andy Wyke, Boat Collection Manager at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, explains: “The LASCANMAR or Laser Scanning Maritime project was conceived out of a need to satisfy a lack of 3D digital recording and documentation for maritime heritage preservation, specifically boats for which there were either no plans or a lack of recorded information. Working in partnership with Le Port-Musée has been a hugely rewarding experience and we look forward to continuing this professional relationship for many years to come.”

In two special presentations at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth and Le Port-Musée in Douarnenez last week, the project team shared their knowledge and some of their findings with representatives from museums, universities and maritime industries.

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall will be displaying some of the results of the project later this year. To find out more about the LASCANMAR project visit www.lascanmar.com.